Date & Time:
Sep 5, 1978
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver
Operator:
Canyon Airways
Registration:
C-GDAV
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dragon Lake - Isaac Lake
MSN:
770
YOM:
1955
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
3
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
6905
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Dragon Lake on a charter flight to Isaac Lake located 65 miles to the east, carrying three passengers and a pilot. En route, he encountered poor weather conditions when the seaplane struck trees and crashed in flames in a wooded area located about 12 miles northeast of Quesnel. The aircraft was completely destroyed by fire and all four occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was limited due to low clouds.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot lost control of the airplane while flying under VFR mode in IMC conditions. Investigations revealed that at takeoff, the aircraft was 359 pounds overweight and the centre of gravity was 1.5 inch aft of the aft limit. After 45 minutes of flight, the aircraft would be 200 pounds overweight with a centre of gravity located 0.5 inch aft of the limit.
